Hazmat team searches car parked at St. Joe's for possible hazardous chemicals

A search of a car emergency officials believed could be carrying hazardous chemicals temporarily shut down roads around St. Joseph's Hospital Thursday night.

Chemicals that could produce a harmful gas were found mixed in a container inside a car

Dan Taekema · CBC News ·
Members of the Hamilton Fire Department's hazardous materials response team search a car parked at St. Joseph's Hospital for possible chemicals Thursday night. The car was cleared and area roads reopened by 10 p.m. (Andrew Collins/CBC)

A search of a car that emergency officials believed could be carrying hazardous chemicals temporarily shut down roads around St. Joseph's Hospital Thursday night.

The materials were analyzed and found to be a household cleaner and a second common chemical, which can, in some cases, produce chlorine gas when mixed.

In low doses, the gas can irritate the eyes, nose and mouth. Higher levels can cause breathing difficulties and vomiting and very high levels can be deadly. 

The incident prompted a heavy response from the Hamilton Fire department, including its hazardous materials unit.

Hamilton Fire Department spokesperson Claudio Mostacci said the chemicals appear to have been combined prior to the hazardous materials response team arriving at the small underground parking lot near the hospital's emergency department on Charlton Street around 8:40 p.m. 

No evidence of chlorine gas was discovered.

A fire department spokesperson said members of the hazmat team found Clorox bleach and hydrochloric acid mixed in a container inside a car parked outside the hospital. (Andrew Collins/CBC)

"Our team was able to go inside the car and retrieve a sample," said Mostacci, who added residue in the container and the air in the vehicle were tested. "Everything came out negative. There was no danger."

It's not clear what led police to the vehicle in the first place.

Const. Jerome Stewart said the search of the car is part of an ongoing investigation, so only limited information can be released.

"Detectives are currently investigating the incident," he said. "At this point in time criminal charges have not been laid."

Ambulances rerouted during search

The hospital was in a hold and secure while the search was underway, according to Mostacci.

The emergency room stayed open for walk-ins but ambulances were rerouted to other hospitals for about an hour while the incident was dealt with, explained Agnes Bongers, director of public affairs for the hospital.

"When we get information there may be something serious like this we have to take all precautions," said Mostacci.

Bongers said the scene was cleared by 10 p.m.

"Everyone was fine, everything was safe. It was a precautionary measure."